Yamaha A1M Pre-amp/Pickup Noise

[syd2aussie]

I just purchased a Yamaha A1M as my practice guitar. Very nice sounding beater. The electronics work, but there is a constant noise in the amp that sounds as if someone is blowing on a mic. I've switch out the batteries, the cables, and tried moving the cable around to see if I can get any static. None of those solutions made a difference.

Any ideas on what approach might be best for this? The Yamaha site is worthless for support. Tom

[YamahaGuy]

You mention, "...the amp." Perhaps if we knew more about "the amp" we could offer help.

If you're using an electric guitar amp, getting "constant noise" or a hiss is to be expected. Every acoustic electric guitar I've ever plugged into an electric guitar amp made a noise.

The "blowing on a mic" sound you describe sounds like static noises which can be the result of a loose connection on the amp, on the guitar, or in the cable.

I've owned several Yamaha acoustic electric guitars since 2007 and none of them produce constant mic blowing noise as you describe. My LLX6A has a moderately scratchy pot(entiometer) on the volume control.

My money is on your amp, or cable.

If it is an electric guitar amp, try switching channels on it. I had an old Crate amp that made that sound, especially when switching channels, you describe and the issue was with a cracked solder trace on the input and in the channel switching signal.

Scratchy volume and/or gain pots on the amp will create that sound too.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by syd2aussie

I just purchased a Yamaha A1M as my practice guitar. Very nice sounding beater. The electronics work, but there is a constant noise in the amp that sounds as if someone is blowing on a mic. I've switch out the batteries, the cables, and tried moving the cable around to see if I can get any static. None of those solutions made a difference.

Any ideas on what approach might be best for this? The Yamaha site is worthless for support. Tom

First, determine the source of the problem. Try the guitar with a different amp. Try your amp with a different guitar. That should isolate the source to either the guitar or the amp.

Second, continue testing to drill down on the source and to eliminate items which are not causing the problem. For example, if the amp is the overall problem source, try a different channel, try send the output to another amp or headphone amp to see if the power amp or speaker in the amp is the problem, etc.

You may need a tech to totally isolate the problem's source, and to repair it.

BTW, a wind or blowing sound is often caused by a bad capacitor.

[Tico]

Bring your amp to a music store and try it with their guitars and cables.

If noise is still there, the guitar is not the problem.
If noise is gone the guitar is the problem; so since you wrote you just bought the guitar, return it.

[syd2aussie]

Thanks all. It might be a capacitor. All other suggestions tried. Definitely the guitar. Tom